When classrooms aren't an option: Researching mobile language learning through disruption

Abstract

This chapter seeks to, first, survey the research field of language learning during disruptions and crises, such as occupation, the COVID-19 pandemic and other areas of education-in-emergency situations, when working and researching outside the classroom is the only option. Second, it discusses the methodological challenges faced by researchers in these areas, and offers practical suggestions for helping researchers develop effective tools and techniques that are specifically designed to investigate language learning in mobile contexts and environments, and to do research with individuals, communities and cultures – social and educational – that can be categorised as different and divergent from established mainstream Global Northern contexts. We draw upon a current research project in Palestine, based on Erasmus+ work on language learning, to highlight some of these issues and demonstrate some of the methods we discuss being used in an authentic research situation to support out-of-class language learning.